(1) The Water Resources Commission may make surveys and investigations and prepare plans, specifications, estimates and other data, as in the commission’s judgment can accomplish the purposes of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act. As soon as practicable after completion the commission shall prepare, or have prepared, a report setting forth the results of the surveys and investigations. All work performed by the commission under this section shall be correlated with that performed by the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, or its successor agency, under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act.

(2) The commission, on behalf of the State of Oregon, may enter into contracts or agreements with any agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture for the execution of surveys and investigations and the preparation of plans, specifications and estimates or other data to determine costs and feasibility of reservoir or other works of improvement that may be constructed under the provisions of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, as amended.

(3) The intent of this section is to expedite the investigation and planning of works of improvement that may be constructed under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to reduce the delay in time occurring between initiation of a project and beginning of construction. [1961 c.617 1,2; 1965 c.95 § 1; 1985 c.673 § 138; 1997 c.249 § 181; 2003 c.14 § 347]